The Worst Timing
by Peeves and Ronni
Summary: Anyone else in a hostage situation would've reacted differently. But Ruby had to be the oddball out, and now she's stuck in the same apartment with an ill-mannered young Roman Torchwick until the end of the summer, and everyone's placing bets on who's going to get strangled first. Modern AU, mild kidnap-Ruby plot, no noncon, set in a suburb of Philadelphia because reasons.
1. Catching Robbers at Dinnertime

Chasing Robbers at Dinnertime

The summer twilight was truly beautiful in Pennsylvania. It was a great time to relax, wind down, eat dinner…or perhaps pursue the trail of a bank robber out to Valley Forge. Yang drove across the winding road a few miles under the speed limit while Ruby kept her eyes trained on the low lit forest outside, looking for any sign of the car they'd seen driving out of outer Philadelphia.

"Hey, Ruby, not to say that I don't like catching bad guys with you, but why exactly are we following this guy out here? We lost him ages ago, and it's not like we're getting any closer."

"I know they mentioned a forest, okay?"

"We live in Pennsylvania. Remember grade school history? The name literally means 'Penn's forest'."

"They went out towards the north highway, and I'm pretty sure we both know that the closest thing to a forest out here is Valley Forge Park," Ruby stated simply.

"Right. And you're sure you remember what the car looked like?"

"Positive. I also have a picture on my phone if I need to refresh my memory."

"Okay…we've only been out on summer vacation for four hours at best, why are we already getting into trouble?"

"Because it's fun."

"Alright, you win."

"And this guy needs to be stopped and the cops can't follow him."

"…Let's stick with fun as our reason, okay?"

"Fine…"

Ruby continued scanning the landscape as it grew dark, until she managed to spot the car in a driveway off the side of Valley Forge road. "There!" Ruby shouted, and Yang jolted a bit before swerving into the driveway next to it.

"Jeez, someone's excited," Yang mumbled as she put her vehicle in park and stepped out after the already loose Ruby, who was practically bouncing around the car, flashlight in hand as she searched for any sign of its driver or the money that used to be in the back seat. "Are you sure this is the right car?"

"The decorations all look the same," Ruby replied as peered into the driver's side window.

"You know, most people that nearly become a hostage don't follow the bad guys afterwards."

"C'mon, Yang, do you really think I was afraid of this guy?"

Yang shrugged. "Just saying. What about the license plate?"

Ruby trotted to the back of the car and pulled out her phone, quickly comparing the license plates and shaking her head. "No, it's different."

"So…it's not the same car then."

"They could have changed it."

"Why would they take the time?"

"Because they didn't know anyone was tailing them?"

"Well we were several minutes behind them."

"It probably would have only taken a few minutes to switch back."

"So they changed the license plate and decided to duck down in a government owned building for the night?"

"I don't think so…that guy said something about going through a forest…" Ruby pointed her flashlight past the car and tilted her head as she noticed a tiny path into the woods behind the house. "He continued on foot." Ruby rose to her feet and started towards the path followed shortly by a now laughing Yang. Ruby shushed her softly before giving a short signal to have them split up. Her sister gave a slow nod before moving down a different path. Ruby sighed and tread as softly as she could through the leafy area, keeping her flashlight trained down so that she wouldn't alert the thief to her presence, after a few moments she heard voices nearby and she sped up just a little to catch up until she saw the dimly lit figures of…two young men walking beneath the hill she was on. Funny, she only remembered one.

"I really didn't think you'd pull it off, you know."

"I told you, Perry, I had the whole thing planned, start to finish."

Ruby frowned as she hid behind one of the thicker tree trunks—that second voice definitely belonged to the robber. She highly doubted that anyone else could sound that arrogant in one small sentence. Ruby peered out from the tree and moved to the next one, glancing out once again to see if she could get a good look at the two boys. One of them was a little shorter, his frame seemed scrawnier and from the back his hair seemed to be dyed a shade of green. The other's hair was such a brilliant shade of orange that it would've been impossible to think he was anything other than a redhead. Ruby waited for them to speak again—the robber had been smart enough to wear a ski mask, so she wouldn't know which boy it was until she watched them speak.

"So what are you going to use it for?" The green haired teen spoke up, and Ruby mentally noted that he was the one that the robber had called "Perry".

"Plane tickets, for starters," the boy responded carelessly, "I wanna get out of here."

"Where do ya wanna go?"

Ruby's brow furrowed and she ducked down behind the next tree. All that money just to get out of here? That made no sense! Ruby got out her phone and began to text Yang.

_ [Yang, I found him]_

_ [He's on the north end]_

_ [I'll send you a pic]_

Ruby turned off her flashlight and stuffed it into her pocket before peering out from behind the tree and positioning her phone for a quick shot. Ruby pressed the button quickly, but after a split second of recognition, her blood nearly ran cold. The flash was still on from earlier. Ruby fumbled to cover up the light before the boys could see it, but it was too late. It had gone off square on them. Perry was the first to turn around, and as Ruby rose to her feet, the redhead turned in confusion, and they made eye contact. Crap. He'd seen her. The redhead started towards her as she tried to run back the way she'd came, but sadly she'd entirely forgotten that her sister had forced her into heels for their night out and she lost her balance on a tree root only a few paces away.

The short moment before she fell seemed to go in slow motion as Ruby prayed that she wouldn't fall into the miniature ravine to her right. Prayed that she'd fall to her left and still have a small chance of getting away. Sadly, luck hadn't been on Ruby's side all night, and she fell to her right just before the redhead had gotten close enough to catch her. And everything went black.

oooOOOooo

_Rosewick trash Peeves reporting in and BEFORE you make the immediate assumption, Ruby did not die. Now, if you've read my first Rosewick fanfiction, Still Dreaming, then you'll probably have a few questions about this one. I did mention on more than one occasion that I don't actually like the kidnap-Ruby plot, on a general basis, and that is for two reasons. One, for such a plot to canon to both character designs, Ruby would have to be in a situation that forced her to be significantly weaker than Roman, and Roman would have to be forced into a situation where taking Ruby as a hostage of sorts was the only option he could think of. Two, it is far far too easy to slip and write abuse or non con in a kidnap-Ruby fic. With that said, this is a kidnap-Ruby title, the only kidnap-Ruby title that I will ever write, promise._

_So the basics of how this works…it's a modern AU, obviously set in south eastern Pennsylvania (because frankly it's the geographical location I know best), and only select characters are present. As keeping in-line with the AU, the faunus are now represented by the minorities local to their region, which you'll see more of later on. That's about all for now. Follow, fave or review if you like, I'll update when I have the time. Rosewick trash Peeves out until next chapter._


	2. The Most Idiotic Hostage

The Most Idiotic Hostage

Roman had never expected to see this girl again. She was just in the wrong place at the right time and he had found it convenient. Most anyone else wouldn't have followed him out here. So why had she? Roman crouched down over her fallen form and checked her pulse, making sure that at the least he wasn't responsible for her death. Perry followed shortly behind him, likely confused at the situation.

"Who is she?" he inquired breathlessly.

"She's an idiot with a death wish," Roman muttered before rising to his feet. "Help me get her up."

"What? Why?"

"We have to take her with us."

"No we do—"

"Don't question me Perry," Roman snapped, "we need to take her with, now help me get her up."

Roman walked around to her head and lifted her by her armpits, pulling her limp body out of the ditch and looking up at his friend. "She saw us and she knows exactly what I did, also who knows how long she was there? Can you get her phone out of there for me? I'm taking her to the car."

"I don't have a good feeling about this…" Perry murmured as he stumbled down to get her phone. "Junior just might kill us if he finds out."

"Well I'm his favorite, so he might let me off the hook."

"For kidnapping an innocent girl? I'm not so sure."

"I'm not planning on keeping her that long, you know."

Roman hoisted the girl's limp body up into his arms just as another girl's voice rang out through the forest.

"Ruby?"

He and Perry locked eyes a moment before he whipped his head in the direction of the voice. "We need to go, Now." Roman readjusted the duffel bag over his shoulder and started towards their car, or rather, the fairly inconspicuous minivan that Junior insisted on having for the sake of carpooling for his younger tenants. They all knew he would've preferred a truck (in truth, most of the older kids would have preferred one too), but the pros of the economical mom vehicle outweighed the pros of a better styled gas guzzler. Roman yanked open the trunk and stuffed both the duffel and the girl inside, making sure tie her wrists behind her for safe measure before grabbing Perry's duffel and throwing it in after her.

"You could at least have enough consideration to put her in the back seat," Perry panted when Roman covered her with a blanket and slammed the trunk door.

"We don't have the time," he replied, "Give me the keys, I'm driving."

Perry paused a moment before passing the keys to his friend just as another call echoed out of the forest.

"Ruby?!"

"She's getting closer," Roman murmured before rushing to the driver's side of the car and getting in. If he got caught now, it was all over before he even got the chance to make something of himself. Before he even got out of this god forsaken place. He couldn't let that happen; no little girl or her friend were going to stop him from leaving. Roman started the car and slammed his foot on the gas, causing Perry to slam back into the seat.

"Slow down!" Perry stammered as the car hurtled forward.

"If we don't make that turn before she breaks out of that forest, we're screwed," Roman snapped as they got closer to the main road. In the back he could hear the young girl's body thumping around in the trunk, but he only vaguely cared. She wasn't going to die from a few more bruises, and he'd start driving carefully as soon as he made this turn. A few more yards and Roman made a hard right on the main road. He swallowed hard through his shallow breaths and eased his foot off the gas a little, glancing briefly at his terrified friend before placing his eyes back on the road.

"Did she make it out?" he asked softly.

"I don't think so…" Perry replied.

"Good…" There was a short silence, and Roman felt Perry's eyes digging into him until the boy spoke again.

"What the hell is going on, Roman?"

oooOOOooo

Ruby felt sick. She was only half awake, and somewhat troubled by the fuzzy memories floating about in her head, or perhaps they were dreams. Ruby groaned and tried to sit up as she struggled to recall a rather disturbing dream about being held hostage. There was a boy…in a ski mask…and he robbed a bank…then he used her to aide in his escape? Was that right?

"Oh, you're awake."

Ruby squinted at the blurry shapes in front of her until they vaguely resembled a person sitting across from her. She groaned again and tried to bring one hand to her head…but it was…stuck? Why couldn't she get it out from behind her? Ruby finally managed to sit up and she leaned her back onto what she guessed was a wall, tilting her head slightly as her eyes struggled to focus on the person in front of her. Black pants, black shirt, fair skin…orange hair…? As the young man came back into focus, so did Ruby's memories.

She had been held hostage, and then after she was abandoned and the robber escaped, she'd followed him out to Valley Forge…her eyes widened as she realized that she was staring straight into the face of her bank robber and, as of late, her kidnapper. Ruby suddenly struggled to regain control of her arms only to realize that he'd restrained them behind her back. Her brow furrowed when her eyes returned to her captor. Ruby's breath became labored and she continued to struggle whilst glaring daggers into the young man. It didn't seem to faze him—his expression remained entirely impassive against her furious stare.

"Tell me," he spoke up after a minute or so of watching her fight her restraints, "Exactly what kind of moron are you?"

"What was that?" she hissed out.

"I mean, what sort of imbecile walks out of a hostage situation and decides to chase the perpetrator?"

"You broke the law!" Ruby shouted.

"And are you a cop, sweetheart?"

"…No…"

"Then if you don't mind my asking, why are my whereabouts any of your business?"

Ruby broke eye contact with him and shrunk back, retreating only slightly in embarrassment. "Well someone had to stop you."

He snorted at that. "Stunning job you've done to that end." The young man lifted himself out of his seat and started towards her, and suddenly Ruby felt exposed. She looked down herself cautiously, noting that all of her clothes with the exception of her shoes seemed to be accounted for. The young man crouched down in front of her and used two fingers to lift her chin, and she reluctantly made eye contact with him in response. He was surprisingly handsome despite his crude manner; his fiery hair framed his left eye while his bangs flowed over the right; his lone green eye bored into her calmly while his thin lips remained relaxed, his entire expression seemingly apathetic to her plight.

"Are you scared?"

"Not even slightly."

"Huh," the teen tilted his head, "So tell me, Red, why in the world is my committing one little robbery such an issue to you?"

"You've hurt people!"

"I put a tiny dent in a nameless, faceless corporation, boo hoo. If I even somehow managed to knock them over they'll be back on their feet in no less than a week."

"But—"

"Y'know Red, I don't think you really have a firm grasp of your current situation," the boy murmured as he placed a finger over her lips. "You see, I have places I wanna go, things I wanna see, a life that I actually want the chance to live, and I'm afraid I just might need the money you saw me…acquire."

"You mean the money you stole," Ruby growled, but the boy brushed it off quickly.

"Details," he shrugged, "Fact of the matter is, you've seen too much, and that, my little Red, is a problem." He clicked his tongue in disapproval before sighing. "Oh, if only you hadn't been so curious and idiotic. So despite my reluctance, I'm afraid you'll be staying with me a while. At least until your freedom isn't a threat to my freedom."

"So you're keeping me hostage again?!"

"In a manner of speaking," the boy replied effortlessly as he rose to his feet and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "A little while longer than a few hours though. Don't fret too much about it. It's not like you'll die in that corner. I'll be back later with some food. Sit tight."

The young man shuffled casually out of the room; Ruby's eyes followed his departure before darting about the room as she continued struggling against the tight restraints on her wrists. It wasn't exactly your clichéd hostage keep, instead the room looked more like a rickety attic bedroom on the edge of collapse, complete with peeling Victorian wallpaper, sloping ceilings, and unfinished floor and bed with a brass frame. A single lightbulb hung down, likely the only light source in the evenings, but at the moment the dim light leaking through the shuttered windows provided enough visual information.

Ruby swallowed hard as she realized that Yang had probably torn that section of the forest apart in her search, and when she'd realized that Ruby was nowhere to be found, she had almost certainly contacted authorities. Someone was looking for her, and that meant that he couldn't keep her here forever.

oooOOOooo

_Rosewick trash Peeves reporting in. A friend told me that this was a good stopping point so I listened to her. Thank you all for the reviews that I got on the chapter (-squints at The Jashinist's review- what why seriously—child, **you have my phone number**) So. I failed to mention this explicitly earlier, but there are a few distinct character changes to Roman that are likely useful for you to know while reading this. For one, this AU equivalent of Roman is not a convicted criminal, in fact to date he's been too smart to catch. For two, he is only nineteen in this fic, for a few reasons. One would be that I cannot imagine canon Roman living in a place as shabby as a suburb of Philly and two being that I view younger Roman as a significantly more empathetic counterpart to his older self._


	3. First Aide for a Dummy

**First Aide for a Dummy**

"Having friends over tonight, eh, Roman?"

"Hm?" Roman snapped back to reality as the lady at the cash register addressed him and glanced down at the multiple tv dinners and frozen foods he'd stocked up on. He let out a soft sigh before smiling politely at the cashier. "Just stocking up for the week, actually. I missed a few items when I picked up my groceries yesterday."

"I see," the older lady nodded, "and how is work going?"

"It's going alright…Marlene," Roman murmured while he briefly read the nametag of his cashier. Regardless of how small this town was, he'd never actually bothered to memorize the names of the locals, even when they remembered him. He supposed that he was at least lucky that this was one of the elderly folk that he'd made a good impression on.

"Well that's good," the woman chortled, "Your total is seventy six dollars and twenty nine cents. Say hello to Junior for me, will you?"

"Sure, but I think he'll be a bit too busy with the pub…" Roman pulled out a few twenties and passed them off to the woman before stuffing his wallet back into his pocket and picking up a few bags. "You can put the change in the donations jar, okay? I'm in a bit of a rush."

"Oh, well…okay then. Have a nice night, Roman."

"You too."

Roman smiled briefly as he wrapped his hands around the rest of his bags and made his way out of the grocery store. He checked his phone shortly after stuffing the food into the minivan's trunk, and groaned slightly as he realized that he had five missed calls from Perry. Roman unlocked his phone and redialed the boy's number before starting the car and taking it out of park. Momentarily the thought that their little friend had escaped crossed his mind, but that was next to impossible. Roman tapped a finger against the steering wheel as he pulled up to the parking lot entrance and waited for Perry to answer. Suddenly the other line came on and he was greeted with a frantic shout.

_["Roman!"]_

"Yikes," Roman moved his ear away from the phone a moment before replacing the device and speaking. "I happen to like both of my ears, Perry. What's up?"

_["Oh so sorry about your ears, your Majesty, but while we're on the topic of bodily harm, I have to ask, when you took away that kid's shoes, did you, perhaps, **forget** to tell her that your bedroom floor is a death trap for bare feet?!"]_

"I didn't think it was a necessary detail. Why?"

_["Because she used to be in the corner and now she's on your bed with about twenty splinters in each foot and wailing for help. Though to be honest I don't think the splinters are what she wants help with!"]_

"…Why did she move?"

_["Shot in the dark theory here, but I would guess that she was trying to get to one of your windows."]_

"Huh. For once I'm glad Junior inherited an old mansion in the middle of nowhere. Nice, secluded apartment space. Have you given her first aide for the splinters yet?"

_["No."]_

"Why not…?"

_["Because she keeps kicking me every time I try!"]_

Roman snorted a bit at that. "So the kid's got spunk. You've never been good handling feisty people, have you, Perry?"

_["Funny how you say that even though that trait applies to most of my closest friends."]_

"And you've always been out numbered…okay, I'll be home in about five minutes, I'll take a look at her then."

_["Okay. By the way, you are lucky that the only people home at the moment are me and that drunken cave troll living in the basement apartment, because this kid is really loud."]_

"Noted. I'll take care of it when I get home."

oooOOOooo

Roman hated stairs. It was an unfortunate thing to hate when you lived on fifth and sixth floors of a house too decrepit to hold an elevator, of course, the lack of an elevator leading to his apartment was probably what made him hate stairs so much. By the time he finally reached his front door with the all groceries, he was somewhat out of breath from the exertion. Roman quickly fished out his keys as Red's wails echoed out—he'd admit that as muffled as they were, the tenants below and next to him would definitely be able to hear her. Of course, it was just his luck that those tenants happened to be Perry and Neo, two of the most unlikely people to report him to the police. Roman unlocked the door and stepped in, wincing as the cries became exponentially louder and as Perry stormed up to him.

"You said five minutes!" he whined.

"Give or take," Roman replied softly as he moved towards the attic stairs, stopping only to place his groceries and the keys on the dining room table. Upon climbing yet another flight he pushed open the old door to his bedroom. As it creaked open the yelling stopped abruptly as the girl floundering on his bed whipped her head towards him and glared at him. He snorted a bit as he watched her try to sit up again and he approached the bed; she stared daggers into him as he sat down.

"You can't keep me here forever," she growled as he reached out and grabbed one of her feet, "Someone is going to find me."

"Is that your motive for screaming bloody murder, Red?" Roman murmured lightly as he examined the multiple splinters in her foot, "Because I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no one can hear you. There's a good five miles in any direction before you'll find any neighbors. And the house itself is rather large, only the next door neighbor can hear you. In other words, just Perry."

"And I would like it to stop," Perry wailed from the doorway.

"Someone will find me!" the girl screamed again, her scowl seemingly glued to her face as her eyes blazed with determination

"Oh, Red, my dear, honestly," Roman chuckled before turning to the green haired teen standing in the entrance. "Perry, could you be a doll and get the first aid kit for me? Oh, and start dinner."

"I am your neighbor, not your maid!" Perry responded in an offended tone.

"Please? I got something for you to eat too."

The boy let out a soft groan before backing out of the doorway. "Fine. But only because you bought me food."

"Thank you." Roman looked back towards the girl and sighed. "First you follow me out to the woods, and now you injure yourself. You just had to be difficult, didn't you, Red?"

"Ruby."

"Hm?"

"My name…is Ruby," the girl growled as she continued to glower menacingly at him.

He laughed lightly at the sentiment. "Sorry, sweetheart, I'm not interested in being on a first name basis with you." Roman turned back to the doorway just as Perry returned with the first aid kit and mumbled a soft thank you before turning back to the girl and pulling out a pair of tweezers. "Do me a favor and sit still, would you? I'm not about to let you get an infection."

"Why would you even care?"

"Well I acquired you in one piece and I think your family would like you returned in one piece."

"As if you've even considered 'returning' me," Ruby hissed.

Roman smirked while he started pulling out a few splinters from her right foot. "You never know. Maybe I'll tire of your company before I hit the road. And of course I'll have no use for you where I'm going."

"You mean jail?"

"Haha, very funny, but that'll only happen in your dreams, Red." The girl glared at him silently as he continued pulling out the splinters; after a few minutes he inspected her feet again, and upon finding them clear of splinters, wrapped them loosely in bandages and stood from the bed. "Now then. Dinner will be ready in a few, I'll bring you yours when it's done."

"Wait."

"Yes, Red?"

The girl blushed and averted her gaze from him as he turned back, curling up a bit as his eye settled on her. "I…I need to go to the bathroom…"

Roman snorted a bit at her flustered composure as he sat down on the bed once more. "What are you embarrassed about?"

"You aren't going to let me go on my own, are you?"

"Are you going to try getting away if I do?"

Ruby glared at him but chose not to answer, and Roman sighed before letting out a soft chuckle. "Thought so," he murmured before leaning forward and throwing the girl over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?!" she shrieked as he stood and started towards the bedroom door.

"Well, if you have to go, you aren't going on my bed. I have to sleep there tonight."

"Should have soiled it while I still had the chance," she muttered.

Roman grimaced a little. "You are disgusting."

"I'm disgusting?! You kidnapped me!"

"You got in the way."

"_You_ robbed a bank!"

"Wow," Perry spoke up as they entered the dining area, "So when's the wedding?"

"Please don't make that joke, Perry," Roman whined, "The very thought makes me want to vomit."

"Let me go already!" Ruby kicked her legs in retaliation and nearly wriggled enough to fall off the redhead's shoulder before he tightened his grip on her waist.

"Nope, not letting you get splinters again."

"Then give me shoes!"

"I don't have any extra slippers."

"Then polish the floor!"

"Too much work."

"You're impossible!"

"And you are a racket," Roman murmured as he dropped her down on the kitchen's linoleum floor. "Walk quickly, guest bathroom's on the other side of the kitchen." The girl puffed out her cheeks a moments before managing an awkward shuffle. A tiny muted whine left her lips each time her feet fell, and he snorted a bit as he strolled past Perry. "All that whining about being carried and you can't even hide how much your feet hurt."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Probably not the line you want to go for if you don't want me to make wedding jokes, Roman," Perry noted absently as he scraped the contents of one tv dinner onto a plate.

"Don't go there," the redhead replied sternly before turning towards the bathroom after Ruby. The girl in question had halted right before the bathroom door, and he studied her still form a moment before throwing his head back and sighing. "Is something wrong?"

Ruby rocked back and forth a little before turning to him abruptly with a furious blush plastered across her face. "Can I please go in there on my own?"

"There's a window in there. Sadly one that is likely big enough for you to crawl through."

"Then duct tape it shut! I'll never be able to get it open without you hearing."

"True," he noted, "but what if you decide to lock the door?"

"You mean this door from the 1820s still locks?"

"No, I was only checking to make sure you weren't trying anything funny." Roman smirked before opening one of the kitchen drawers and pulling out a roll of duct tape. "Fine, I'll allow it. But if you try to escape even slightly you're under bathroom supervision again."

"Fine," the girl mumbled as he stepped in and duct taped the window shut. "Can I have my hands back?"

"Whatever for?"

"So maybe I can get my underwear off while I'm in there?"

Roman sighed and stepped back into the doorway. "I could just remove it for you now."

"Don't you dare," Ruby hissed.

"Fine then," the redhead turned to the duct tape drawer again and rummaged through them until he found a pair of scissors. "But you're getting a real pair of cuffs as soon as you step out of that bathroom."

The girl snorted as he cut the flex cuffs. "Did you rob a police station to get some practice?"

"No, but I had an ex who had more than a few kinks, and I'm sure her hand me downs will look lovely on you," Roman smirked as he pushed Ruby into the bathroom.

She glared at him as she turned and grabbed the door handle. "T-That is gross."

"Depends on the viewpoint."

"Excuse me, I need lose my lunch now," Red slammed the door and Roman couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Be my guest," he murmured as he walked back into the kitchen.

"You know," Perry spoke up as Roman strolled past, "Maybe I'm crazy, but I could have sworn that she made you wear those cuffs."

The redhead put on a sly grin and chuckled once more before leaning a little towards Perry.

"Details."

oooOOOooo

_Rosewick trash Peeves reporting in and dear god you have no idea how much of a pain this chapter was. And how much time I shouldn't be spending on it right now [finals week yaaaaaay] so. Little more progression and setup for you here. To clarify, they do not keep an actual legit cave troll in the basement that's just a creative exaggeration on Perry's part. Well, I'll update as soon as humanly possible, follow fave and review if you like, I'd appreciate it. Rosewick trash Peeves out until next chapter. _


	4. Slight Adjustments

**Slight Adjustments**

Dawn had long since passed over the shabby attic that Ruby's captor dared to call a bedroom, and Ruby, despite having woken shortly after first light, had not budged more than an inch from her place on the bed. This was for two reasons: one, her wrists were still handcuffed to the brass bedframe, and two, she was waiting for Roman to start waking up. It wasn't as if she truly enjoyed watching the young man sleep—god no—but in the three previous mornings she had discovered that kicking the smug expression clean off his face was most enjoyable when he was just barely conscious. Ruby secretly had a few concerns regarding her recent appreciation for the pain of others; but upon further speculation she'd come to the conclusion that her violent thoughts were only directed at her kidnapper, and that seemed reasonable.

Ruby snapped back to reality as she heard Roman let out a soft, inaudible mumble in his sleep; his body shifted away from hers slightly, as if sensing her vicious intent. She paid the movement no mind and raised one knee, readying her leg to strike as soon as his eyes opened. Briefly her eyes wandered to the functional wall clock that served as the sole decoration of the boy's otherwise barren room. _6:49._ Twenty one minutes before 7:10, Roman's average wake up time. Ruby rested her leg a moment and settled herself in anticipation of a long wait, when suddenly the sound an alarm sprung to life behind Roman, startling her and rousing her victim twenty minutes too early. The redhead let out a low moan as he rose from his slumber, and Ruby scrambled to aim a clumsy kick at him.

Sadly her victim recognized her target before her foot could connect with his chin and in a mere moment he was standing a few feet from the edge of the mattress, his bare feet flat against the splintering wood floor while he smirked triumphantly at her. "Oh…" he chuckled, "you should see the look on your face right now, Red, because it is priceless."

"That's not fair, you hacked the system!"

"And you should know that I live to break the rules."

"The laws of the universe are in place for a reason!" Ruby struggled in vain against her restraints as Roman leaned over to turn off his alarm, "You aren't supposed to wake up before 7:10!"

"Oh? What am I gonna do, tear a hole in the space time continuum?"

"It could happen!"

"Riiiight. Well," Roman slid his feet into his slippers and crawled onto the bed to detach her from the brass frame, "I happen to prefer having an unbruised chin in the morning, so if I have to wake up a few minutes early to throw you off guard, so be it."

Ruby growled in anger and began aiming flimsy kicks at Roman's side in retaliation as he cut the zip tag he'd used to secure her to his bed. "You…big…Meanie!"

"You know Red, it is completely impossible for me to take your hatred for me seriously when you can't even muster the will to call me a jackass."

"I was taught not to use profanity!"

"Well it's not like anyone's gonna reprimand you for it here…" Roman mumbled as he scooped up Ruby and shuffled to the door. "If you haven't noticed, you're the only person here who doesn't curse like a sailor."

"I. Don't. Curse," the girl growled menacingly.

"Fine, be stubborn about it, not like I really care that much," Roman let out a soft sigh before wrinkling his nose and leaning down to sniff her. Ruby tried shrinking in his arms, but the moment ended rather quickly with the redhead rearing his head back and letting out a disgusted groan. "God, you reek, Red!"

"T-That's not my fault!" She stammered hastily as he placed her on the couch. "You haven't let me take a shower in three days!"

"That is because you kept refusing to be bathed."

"You wouldn't remove the cuffs!"

"Just because I'm nice enough to take them off so you can use the bathroom does not mean that I am nice enough to leave them off for a shower."

"That's just your excuse for being a filthy pervert!"

"Red, darling, in order for that to make me a pervert, there would actually have to be _something_ to look at under those clothes."

Ruby flushed severely at that, and Roman grinned impishly before disappearing into the kitchen. "M-M-Meanie! Y-You stupid jerk!"

"Oh please sweetheart, at least try to decide whether or not you want me to find you attractive…Hey Neo."

Ruby flounder a bit on the couch and sat up while Roman moved about in the kitchen, evidently having pulled out his cellphone midway through their argument. Ruby scowled and tried to concentrate on his words in an attempt to see what he was discussing with his neighbor. She'd only met Neo once—the small woman had come over when Perry let it slip to Junior that she was here…and had helped convince the bear of a of a man to let Roman hold onto her a little longer. She couldn't say that she was really fond of the girl for having sided with her kidnapper; no matter the circumstances Roman was in, she deserved to go home, simple as that.

"Actually, I was wondering if you could babysit Red for me…I have work today so…Yeah, I know you're a busy woman Neo, but—" Roman let out a sigh as he walked back into the living room and passed Ruby a nutri-grain bar and a bowl of cereal. The girl yanked at her cuffs in demonstration and he grumbled a bit and walked around the couch to undo her restraints. "Yeah, I get that Neo," he mumbled absently as he freed one of Ruby's hands from the cuffs. "But I also know that you don't have work today…Perry told me you were free…Okay, how about…"

Ruby tuned out the conversation as she dug into her breakfast, jolting only slightly as one of Roman's hands came down on her shoulder—he had done it once or twice before when he'd let her eat on her own, as if to tell her not to try anything funny. Come to think of it, it was the only time he really touched her when he wasn't carrying her to and from the bedroom, he otherwise kept his hands to himself. Perhaps he really didn't find her attractive—after all, it was unlikely that her kidnapper had any qualms with sexual assault.

"Alright, thanks a ton, Neo…of course I'll hold up my end of the bargain…see you in a few," Roman's hand retreated from her shoulder and the man in question hopped over the edge of the couch and grinned at her. "Looks like you'll be spending the day with Neo, Red."

"Wonderful," Ruby said curtly as she finished off her cereal. "Should be more fun than spending the day with you."

"And since she's a girl, there should be no trouble with her helping you take a bath."

"What?!"

"Well you need one, Red," Roman stated nonchalantly as he re-cuffed her hands, "And since you won't even trust me to supervise, I asked Neo to wash you for me. She's going to bring you one of Junior's old t shirts to change into as well. It's not much, but considering your size, it should cover up everything you're so modest about."

"That's not the problem!" Ruby spat, and Roman sighed as she wriggled out of his grasp. "I'm not going to wash myself in front of some stranger! I don't care if they're a boy or a girl! I won't do it!"

The redhead groaned and ran his hands down his face; his expression spoke volumes about how much she was irritating him. "Red, you really aren't in a position to make demands. Do you even realize how generous I'm being right now?"

"Generous?! You kidnapped me!"

"Yes, I kidnapped you, and for the last fucking time, I didn't want to. I would, in fact, vastly prefer having absolutely nothing to with you at…all," Roman held his gaze on Ruby for a moment before running his hands down his face again. "Can't even get a good night's sleep with you around…" he paused for a moment, letting out a soft groan before shrugging and lifting himself off the couch. "Alright then, let's make a deal."

"A…deal…?" Ruby repeated hesitantly.

"Yeah, a deal, since arguing with you or forcing you into submission both take more energy than Neo and I feel like affording. I'll let you remove the cuffs for your showers, and in exchange, you stop trying to kick me in the face every morning."

Ruby stared at him a moment before growling out an answer. "Not good enough."

"Not good eno—look Red, I know you don't seem to understand the concept, but you don't get to make ultimatums. You are a hostage. You are a temporary prisoner and it would please me immensely if you could realize that your life is a blessing in and of itself."

Ruby swallowed hard for a moment but kept her stare hard on Roman. "The cuffs go."

He chuckled a little in exasperation. "Did you even hear me?"

"And I want shoes."

"You know, I already knew you weren't the brightest of the bunch but I really didn't think you were this stupid."

"What does it matter if I have the cuffs or not? Your front door only unlocks with a key on both sides, right?"

"And I'm supposed to trust you not to try taking it from me the moment your hands are free? Unlike some people in this room, I'm not an idiot."

"I promise I won't."

Roman squinted his eyes at Ruby, hesitating a moment before leaning close enough to make her shrink away in discomfort. "I'm sorry, but do you actually think I'm about to trust your word?"

"Have I ever done anything to suggest I'm not honest?"

"No, but you've done plenty to suggest that you don't want to be here just as much as I don't want you to be here."

Ruby growled at that, but he straightened up with a sigh. "..But…I'm feeling generous…if you stop trying to kick me…I'll remove the cuffs during the day."

Her eyes narrowed at that, the breadth of silence lasting a while before she opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off again.

"But they stay at night. And if you try to tell me that that's not good enough, then the cuffs stay permanently. Are we clear?" Roman lifted one hand up to his neck and pulled the loose chain around it out from behind his wife beater, revealing the keys to his apartment. "And if I ever catch you trying to grab these, I will make you regret it."

"How generous of you," Ruby replied dryly.

"Do we have a deal or not, Red?"

"Fine. I'll keep my hands off your grubby keys. Just un-cuff me already."

"They return tomorrow if you don't make good on your end of the bargain," he murmured as he dug the handcuff keys out of his pocket and leaned down to un-cuff her again.

"Fine. And you'll let me shower on my own?"

"Well I suppose since the window's nailed shut that should be fine. But I would recommend waiting until Neo comes over with those shirts. Unless you'd like strutting around half naked until I leave for work."

"Gross, in your dreams."

"Closer to nightmares, sweetheart."

Ruby's brow furrowed at his retort, but he merely smirked in return.

"Kid, you really need to decide whether or not you want me to be attracted to you."

As the cuffs clicked open, Ruby huffed and turned her gaze to the coffee table, scanning the surface for the remote only to realize that it was on top of the tv across from her. "…Can I watch tv?"

"Oh? Does Red miss her morning cartoons?"

"I wanted to watch the news, actually."

Roman frowned minutely at that. "Why?"

"Because I like watching the news. Is there a problem?"

"I suppose not," he sighed and passed her the remote. "I need to get changed for work…don't break anything."

Ruby mimicked him as he turned for the stairs before clicking the tv on and flipping to one of the news channel. They were discussing politics at the moment, but Ruby hoped at some point they might switch to local crime. A few more minutes of politics and economy ensued, until she finally got her wish and they began to discuss a string of local robberies. Ruby considered whether Roman had anything to do with them, until finally they got to the one thing she was most concerned with: her kidnapping. Apparently, the police had no leads on her location…but…they cut over to Yang…and her dad.

_["Look, I don't care how hard the police are trying, I won't rest until they find my daughter."]_

_["Oh, and I hope that bastard that took her is watching this, 'cause I've got a message for him. If you harm a single hair on my sister's head, then you'll answer to me!"_

Ruby's eyes watered a little as she studied the enraged expression on her sister's face. On one hand, she was relieved to know they hadn't given up on finding her, but on the other, she was afraid that they still wouldn't find her. She curled up on the couch and wrapped her arms tight around her legs while she stared longingly at her family's face on the tv. "Don't worry guys," she whispered to herself, "I'll find a way out of here."

"I should have known that this what you wanted to see."

Ruby gasped as she looked up to see Roman leaning over the edge of the couch and staring at her apathetically, already dressed in his full uniform for work with a towel inexplicably draped over his shoulder. "S-So what if I did?" she stammered defensively.

"I hope you realize that I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon."

"Do you think I care about that?" Ruby sat up on the couch and turned to face him. "I won't be your prisoner forever."

"Good, that would be my absolute worst nightmare. Babysitting you is such a chore."

"And I'm gonna find a way to put you in jail, where you belong!"

"Hm. We'll just have to see about that, now won't we, Red? Now if you're done, I have to get to work, and your daily warden should be here in about…" Roman mockingly checked his bare wrist for the time just as a knock sprung up at the door. "Now," he smirked as he glanced from the door back over to Ruby. "So then. Don't misbehave, Red, and, just as fair warning," he leaned a little closer. "I'm a lot nicer than she is."

"Doubt it," Ruby muttered.

"Sure you do, Red. Oh, almost forgot," Roman smiled and handed her the towel he'd been carrying. "The only towel in the apartment that I've never used. Since I'm sure you'd hate to use anything else."

Ruby took the towel blankly, blinking in confusion as Roman sauntered to the front door and let in Neo.

"Where's the brat?"

"On the couch, Neo. Try to use those lovely eyes of yours."

"Hm. When do you get back?"

"Around six o'clock. Think you can keep her in line until then?"

"Easily," Neo murmured as she stepped further into the apartment and stared apathetically at Ruby. "Well? Start making your way to the bathroom."

"But I still don't have sho—"

Neo cut her off by throwing a pair of slippers down on the floor behind the couch and crossing her arms. "You do now."

Ruby stared at the woman only a moment more before crawling over the edge of the couch and slipping her feet into the slippers.

"Well, I'll leave you girls to it. Oh, and Neo, you don't have to keep an eye on her when she takes a shower."

"Good, I was going to wait outside anyway."

"I should have been able to guess that. Well, later," Roman closed the door behind him, and after a click, Ruby could hear him disappearing down the hallway. She turned and shuffled towards the bathroom, only growling slightly in defiance as Neo threw a ball of oversized t shirts at her head. Her thoughts traveled back to the news report as she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. She would be found, Yang and dad wouldn't give up until they found her. But…she glanced at the unused towel in her hands and frowned a little. She was beginning to get the impression that being stuck here could have been a lot worse.

oooOOOooo

_Rosewick trash Peeves reporting in and yes, this story yet lives. I'll try to keep the future updates under a year long…big thanks to any of the nerds that stuck around. I kinda don't have anything left to say cuz my brain is somewhat fried…_

_Rosewick trash Peeves out until next chapter._


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